Braiding-machine



G. MoKAY. BRAIDING MACHINE.

No. 468,225. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

emcmaom Syvum/Lio@ Amgwmw MX fMA/S m- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE MCKAY, OF NORVICII,CONNECTICU T.

BRAIDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,225, dated February 2, 1892.

Application led December 17, 1890. Serial No. 375,027. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MCKAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Braiding Machines, which improvements are fully set forth and described in the following specification, ref erence being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings.

This invention is in that class of braidinglnachines in which the various strands are carried between and around the others of the series at stated times to interlace or braid together said strands, thebobbins being carried and directed by a multiple of gears; and my object is to simplify somewhat such machines and also to reduce materially the wear of engaging paris.

W'ith these ends in view I have produced the machine illustrated in the annexed drawings, Figure l being a vertical sectional view of a machine embodying my improvements, taken on line or t of Fig. 2, the latter ligure being a top or plan view of the carrier-disk and a portion of the surrounding internal gear, two of the carrier-gears being also shown in proper position on said disk.

The several elements of the machine are supported on or within a shell a, to the top of which is secured an internal gear b, whose teeth, it should be noted, are alike throughout the series and not mutilated at stated distances, as is usual in such machines. c denotes the carrier-disk, secured to a hollow vertical shaft, bearing at its lower end abevel gear d, which is driven by a corresponding gear CZ on a shaft e in a manner common to this class of machines. Located on studs f on disk c are three or more gears g, that mesh with the described internal gear and are caused to rotate by the latter as disk c revolves. Gears g have a series of notches g', adapted to iit the neck of the bobbin-carriers. Immediately beneath gears g the disk c is recessed, as at h, the outer wall of said recess being circular throughout a considerable portion and approximately in vertical alignment with the pitch-line ot the gears g. The entrance to recess Tir-that is to say, the side nearest the periphery of disk c--is formed as intersecting channels, that lead into and out of the recess, said channels being formed by attaching to disk c fixed switch-sections h' h2 h3, the latter being approximately triangular and so located that its apex is immediately opposite the center of gear g and serves to guide the foot of the traveler inward toward said gear when the machine is in operation. The switch-section 7L is located within recess 7L and sections h2 at each side of the entrance to said recess, the space or channels between sections 7L and h2 being in line with the operative sides of section 71,3,so that when the foot of the traveler is engaged and crowded inward by said section 71,3 said traveler may be guided into recess h and pass around with gear y.

As here illustrated, disk c is formed with a projecting ledge c between the described switch portions; but such ledges are not essential to the working of my machine, it onlybeing necessary to provide at proper intervals on the periphery of said disk projecting portions sufiicient to support the switch-section h3. Then the bobbilrcarricrs are deposited and left in the internal gear b, they are then supported entirely by said gear until again removed by the gears g. The switches h', h2, and h3 are made ot' steel and screwed or bolted to disk c, so that when worn they may be removed and replaced by new ones. To prevent the undue wear of the peripheral wall of recess h, l spring into said recess a steel bushing i, against which the foot of the bobbincarrier may travel as the latter is carried around by gear g, the recess being preferably provided with shoulders, as the ends of the plates h2, against which the ends of the spring abut. The switch-section h3 should be of such pitch on its inner edge that when the foot of the bobbin-carrier engages it said foot is forced inward (toward the carrier-gear) until one of the notches g of said gear engages the traveler-neck, when it (the traveler) is car ried between switch-sections h h2 and thence around with said gear, when it is again switched outward and left in one of the teeth of the internal gear b. I have stated that the teeth of the internal gear are not mutilated, as in other machines of this class. By thus being able to use a gear with uniform teeth I y IOO ' outward until its neck enters one of the gears ZJ, Where it remains until it is removed by the plate or switch h3 and the gear g or until itis desired to remove it from the machine, when the channel isv made to register with it, when it cany be slipped into the channel and` then taken out as'easily as it was put in.

In operation as many travelers are placed in the gear b as isidesired and the plate is ro,- tated in the usual manner. As the gears g approach atraveler the switch h3 crowds the traveler into the gear g, where itis carried around and again deposited in the gear b, the switch in the meantime passing on to the next traveler, which is crowded into the gear g, and so with each succeeding traveler. In this way each of the internal gears b canl be used to. hold a traveler and also to assist in rotating the gears g, which could not be done with a mutilated gear, as then the travelers must always be placed in the same place in the gear. As the mutilation of the gear generally occurs about every fourth tooth,it is evident thatvby being able to dispense with this mutilation and use every tooth, as can be done with my noni-mutilated gear, the durability of themachine is increased to that extent, as after one tooth has become worn to any great extent the gear is shifted in relation to the travelers so that the travelers will be deposited in a new or unworn tooth, and then after that becomes worn it can be shifted again, and so on until all' the teeth have been thus utilized for holding the travelers.

Inasmuch as machines of vthis class are well known, I have thought it unnecessary to illus- `trate the take-up, travelers, and tension devices.

A familiar type may be seen in Patent No. 56,485, issued July 17, 1866, to James A. Bazin.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a machine for making. braided cord, .e Vi

a revoluble disk bearing carrier-gears, each with a series of notches g', in combination with an internal gear having non-mutilated teeth, said teeth serving to hold the carriers and also to rotate the gears, as described, and for the object Specified 2. In combination, in a cordfmachine, a revoluble disk, a series of carrier-gears mounted thereon, an internal gear in mesh. with Said carriers, the disk being provided with` a Shoulof which abutagainst the shoulders and hold it in place, substantially' as described, and for r the purpose specified.

3. In combination with a revolnble disk and a seriesef carrier-gears mounted thereon,

an internal geen in mesh with said Carrier- -sears, Seid disk being recessed beneath the carrier-gears te ferm a path for the feet of the v travelers and having detachable switch-seetions h. h2, and h3, forming intersecting channels leading outW-,ld from said recess, but not continuing around the periphery of the ldisk, au being Substantially as and for the object speci tied.

GEORGE MCKAY.

Witnesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, ALONZO. M. LUTHER. 

